St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Feast day: November 17
Born in 1207, the daughter of King Andrew ll of Hungary, Elizabeth was betrothed at the age of 4. She wed Louis IV of Thuringia in 1221, and they had three children. Elizabeth was devoted to caring for the poor and the sick, although sometimes the expense of her charity displeased her husband. Once, when he complained about her activities, a basket of roses was changed miraculously into a basket of bread. After her husband died, Elizabeth joined the Third Order of St. Francis and established a hospital for the sick. She died at age 24 and was canonized in 1235.
Collect
O God, by whose gift Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
recognized and revered Christ in the poor,
grant, through her intercession,
that we may serve with unfailing charity
the needy and those afflicted.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
